Christmas Presents
by UnknownQuantity
Summary: Post-ME3 Shepard survival. Set a few years after the events of ME3; Christmas time at Liara and Naomi's home on Thessia. Also featuring little blue children, Tali/Garrus and a general all round good feeling (I hope). Short one-shot Christmas special.


Preamble: Its been quite a long time since I posted anything up. I have to apologise for that. Real life has been busy and frankly I've not had the energy to do an awful lot of writing. Although I promise you all I've not given up. In any case my plan had been to post something up before Christmas Day as a kind of gift to people who read my stuff. Evidently that didn't happen (my last week of work was crazy). So instead last night as I was thinking I had an idea of very rapidly writing a one-shot Christmas story on Christmas Day to put up for you all instead. This morning I got up and after exchanging gifts and so on I sat down and started doing a bit of work. I chipped away at it all day in brief breaks between family commitments and got it into a suitable state for submission. A friend very kindly passed an editorial eye over it and gave me some thoughts on improvement. Then I added a few final tweaks and here it is.

It is set post-ME3 assuming Shepard survives. Liara and Shepard have a child and a house on Thessia. Fair warning also of Garrus/Tali ship, so if none of those things are for you then you probably won't like this.

As always thanks to my editor and to you all for reading this. I haven't given up writing, despite my several month hiatus from it; and additional chapters of my other fanfic should be up sooner rather than later. Finally I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

* * *

**Christmas Presents**

Naomi groaned quietly as she woke and shifted slightly, knocking into a soft warmness by her side. She smiled and gently wrapped her arm around the beautiful blue body lying beside her, her hand tracing tenderly across the delicate looking skin. Looking down at her partner Naomi found herself gazing into a pair of piercing, sapphire blue eyes, staring at her adoringly; she lost herself in them briefly before the silence was broken.

"Good morning," said Liara quietly.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

The asari shook her head. "No, I've been watching you for about ten minutes now." She shifted up the bed slightly and kissed Naomi's cheek. "I was worried after you stayed up so late last night."

"Well, didn't have much choice did I?" replied Naomi exhaustedly. Liara laughed.

"Of course you did. It's entirely your own decision to keep these kinds of human traditions going. I think it's a little silly honestly. I mean...bringing a tree inside...really."

Naomi smiled at that and looked back at her firmly. "I know this is Thessia, but there are some Earth traditions I happen to like. Well, come on, you can't say you don't enjoy the look on her face when..."

"Mommy, mommy, presents!" a tiny voice squealed as a small shape rushed into the room and crashed onto the bed, wrapping an arm around Liara, the other carrying a wrapped box.

Naomi laughed. "Good morning, sweetheart. Did presents magically appear in the night for you?" The little asari nodded, beaming happily; Liara unable to keep herself from smiling in turn at her clear joy. Naomi leaned over to hug them both. "Why don't we go downstairs and see if there's any more?"

Practically bouncing with excitement, the child jumped off the bed. "Come on, mommy, daddy!" Then she raced off, not stopping to see if they were following.

Liara got out of bed and stretched, Naomi lying on her side and admiring her partner's nude form with a lazy smile. It was still perfect, unblemished and showing no signs of the pregnancy that had given them their first child. The skin was smooth and blue, beautiful and lustrous in the soft light. With amusement she thought back to the first time they had been together and how fascinated she had been at the smoothness of the asari's skin...and at how Liara had been slightly shocked at the way humans had hair on their bodies as well as their head. The asari caught her eye and put a hand on her hip. "You going to get up and come help open presents or just lie there all day watching me?"

"Why do you have to make these choices so _difficult_?" Naomi complained before standing and wrapping her arms around Liara, pulling her close and rubbing their bare skin together. "I'll never get tired of looking at all of this." She ran her hand lightly down Liara's back, who shivered and clung to her chest.

Squeals from elsewhere in the house interrupted their moment of reverie. "Come on," said Naomi softly. "We'd better make sure she doesn't wreck the house in excitement."

* * *

"You know, I'm never quite sure if I'm cooking some of these things right," called Naomi from the kitchen. Liara was lounging on the sofa in a T-shirt and lightweight trousers, watching their daughter's excitement happily. Wrapping paper covered the floor and amongst it all the little asari was looking wide-eyed with glee at her new possessions. A stuffed toy krogan was already firmly clasped under one arm and she had evidently no intention of releasing him any time soon.

"They'll be fine, honey. I've shown you a hundred times."

"But I never remember! You know that."

Liara's voice slipped into a lecturing tone with a hint of amusement. "Naomi Shepard, you've lived on Thessia for how many years now? You're going to have to remember to cook native vegetables at _some_ point. And you've known dextro-protein species for how long? You _still_ aren't sure how to cook for them? It's not good enough."

Naomi poked her head around the door and threw a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am. I'll get right on it." She grinned. "I love it when you get all bossy." The head disappeared again and there was a crash of pans followed by some cursing. "It's ok! I'm ok...it'll all be done soon. At least should be before Tali and Garrus get here." At that there was a buzz from the front door, followed by more cursing from Naomi.

Liara broke out into giggles as she got up and went to open the door then threw her arms around the quarian on the other side. "Hi Tali; it's great to see you. Garrus, likewise."

Garrus' eyes went slightly wider with mock surprise. "You're answering the door...does that mean...?"

The asari nodded. "Naomi is cooking." He groaned.

"Should I just call for an ambulance now?"

"Hey! I heard that!" came an annoyed voice from the kitchen.

Tali laughed and lightly punched Garrus on the arm. "Leave her alone. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Liara gestured inside. "Come in. Please. Unfortunately SOMEONE mistimed it so we'll be a little while. But I think we'll be a little distracted anyway because I think she just finished opening..."

There was a squeal and a thud as the little asari crashed into Garrus's legs. "Uncle Garrus, Uncle Garrus." The Turian laughed and swept her up.

"Ok, trouble. What have you been up to?"

"I got presents and...and..." She seemed lost for words and that drew another laugh.

"Come on, let's have a look and check that Shepard is looking after you properly. Better be lots of presents or I'll be having words."

Liara just smiled as they filed in and shut the door.

* * *

The small group was out in the garden after eating. Liara was sitting at a table with Tali, drink in hand, watching her giggling daughter being swept through the air by Garrus and Naomi in turn with a mixture of amusement and concern.

"Don't worry, Liara," cut in Tali. "She's perfectly safe."

She nodded and turned to her friend. "I know, I can't help it. My first, you know?" A sigh. "Naomi says I worry too much. Anyway, why were you two even on Thessia?"

Tali waved her hand vaguely. "I've just finished a six month period on the Citadel working for the embassy there. We thought we'd take a little time for a holiday here and then head back to Rannoch. So we just...adjusted our plans a little when we heard from Shepard about this holiday."

Another nod. "Such a strange human custom. It sometimes hits me how very different we are in some ways."

Tali laughed. "I know. Its similar with us. Different outlooks, traditions. But it keeps things interesting I find. And anyway, I don't think this is such a bad idea. It's given us a chance to meet up and...well, look at them." She gestured towards the group running about on the grass now, the little asari's legs working frantically to try and catch her prey. Liara laughed at the sight, especially when Naomi pretended to fall over and was immediately pounced on.

"Sometimes I can't quite believe it. That I've got a child. And one like that."

"She's a great kid and she's got the best parents anyone could ask for."

Her face flushed faintly blue. "Thanks, Tali."

Tali sat thoughtfully for a while. "Bit of a handful though..." she mused idly after a couple of minutes.

"You have _no_ idea..."

"How about we give you a break?"

Liara blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"We'll take her out to the park for a while, then a movie. Bring her back later tonight. Just to say thanks for the meal."

"You don't have to..."

"No, but I'm offering. I think she'd have a lot of fun," a teasing note crept into Tali's voice. "Plus it'll give you some alone time for a change? At the very least you can tidy up the wrapping paper. At the most...well..."

Liara chewed her lip thoughtfully, faintly flushed. At length she nodded. "Ok. I know she'd love to go with you and, well..." she trailed off.

Tali laughed. "Say no more. You girls just enjoy yourself." She stood and started to walk over to the group.

* * *

The house was quiet now. Tali had left with Garrus just a few minutes before, a small blue figure perched happily on his shoulders. Naomi leaned back in a chair, staring at the ceiling.

"It was good of Tali and Garrus to take her out like that," she called out. A noncommittal sound came back from elsewhere in the house. Naomi raised her head up.

"Liara? Goddess?" Another noncommittal sound. Nonplussed she stood and stretched before going searching. At length she came to the bedroom and pushed the door open; her mouth went suddenly dry and she tried to swallow.

"Hello, Commander," said Liara in her most sultry voice. She was perched on the end of the bed wearing a red corset, knickers and stockings with a ribbon tied into a bow hanging loosely around her neck. A white fur scarf draped over her shoulder. "I've heard that red and white are generally viewed as the appropriate colours for this holiday of yours."

Naomi just managed a nod, still staring at the heavenly sight before her. Lost for words and completely mesmerised. Liara smiled back and beckoned her over, the human complying without any resistance, and pulled her down to sit on the bed before softly kissing. Liara spoke again, breathing heavily on Naomi's lips. "Well...aren't you going to unwrap your present?" She gestured to the ribbon at her neck.

Finding her voice again, Naomi replied hoarsely. "I got you some jewellery but this...is worth far more."

Liara laughed musically. "Don't worry, my love. I'm sure you'll make it up to me somehow." She leaned in to kiss again and, holding tight to each other, they fell back onto the bed - their minds coming together as one.


End file.
